Pebbly beach in Suffolk
This time last year I got on my bike at the Pub on the Park in London Fields on a Saturday night (after a few sharpeners) and headed north east. The Dunwich Dynamo is a fairly disorganised ride to the sea that's been going for about 15 years. It's twice the distance of the London to Brighton, but less hilly and (in my case at least) a bit more relaxed. There's no backup, no marshals, noone to help you if you break something other than people riding around you. And it's utterly brill. There's no official start time and it's very much not-a-race. It's very surreal to be riding along a dark country lane in the middle of the night with a string of flashing red lights going off into the distance in front of you and a similar string of white flashing lights behind you. i wrote a thingy about it last year ( www.urbantravelblog.com/feature/dunwich-dynamo ) and am too lazy to retype it here.

It's on again this Saturday. There's no need to register, just turn up with a bike. And it's all about the journey, the destination is a bit rubbish. So next week I'll do another answer to this qotw. any other b3tans doing it?


EDIT: and it's much easier than you'd think. My mate Stuart did it last year having never cycled more than 5 miles in one go. if you're thinking about doing it, do it.
(Alphabet Soap boshboshboshbosh, Fri 15 Jul 2011, 10:22, 5 replies)

Genuinely enjoyed reading your blog there
Sounds amazing, shame I don't have a bike!
( SauronWibble I'll hold it, you lick it..., Fri 15 Jul 2011, 10:45, closed)

use a boris bike
i was toying with the idea of doing that for a while.
(Alphabet Soap boshboshboshbosh, Fri 15 Jul 2011, 13:03, closed)

The guy with the parcel bike and dog you saw
is doing it this year on a Boris Bike.

Even he is quite apprehensive from what I've heard. Leo Tong, here:
thebikeshow.net/dunwich-dynamo-2011-preview/
( chthonic, Fri 15 Jul 2011, 13:28, closed)

It's been a while
since I've had enough sleep to make it possible to ride it. First did it 6 years ago and loved every bastarding minute of it.

See my answer down the page for my highlights :)

(Oh, and RIP Barry Mason - the guy who always organised the coaches died last month. Very sad)
( chthonic, Fri 15 Jul 2011, 11:10, closed)

damn, never been GCd on qotw before:)

heard about Barry - really sad, he was a lovely bloke. even if it's raining as predicted, i think a lot of people will do it this year because of him.
(Alphabet Soap boshboshboshbosh, Fri 15 Jul 2011, 13:05, closed)

That's a very nice Kona hardtail
I recently did a Brighton to London offroad with another b3tan to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

This looks like a fantastic follow up ride...
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Fri 15 Jul 2011, 12:07, closed)

it's lots of fun and has a thankfully very relaxed atmosphere. I'm leaving the kona at home this year and doing it on my 40 year old battered fixed gear. slightly nervous...
(Alphabet Soap boshboshboshbosh, Fri 15 Jul 2011, 13:00, closed)

That is dedication...
...the most suitable bike in my stable is a 130mm full suss bike. At least it has gears though.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Fri 15 Jul 2011, 13:09, closed)